Siegfried hansing



(No Model.)

S. HANSING.

PIANO FORTE ACTION.

No. 402,735. Patented May '7, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIEGFRIED HANSING, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO IVESSELL, NICKEL d7 GROSS, OF SAME PLACE.

PIANO-FORTE ACTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 402,? 35, dated May 7, 1889.

Application filed October 10, 1887. Serial No. 251,903. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIEGFRIED HANsiNe, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in the city and county of New York, in the State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Piano-Forte Actions, of which the following is a specification.

I will describe in detail a piano-forte action embodying my improvement, and then point to out the novel features in claims.

I11 the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side view of an action embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 represents a diagram showing the pivotal point of the hammer, the

I 5 usual pivotal point or fulcrum for the restsupport, and the pivotal point in the position which it occupies in an action embodying my improvement, and also showing th e arcs which are struck from these centers or pivotal points.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in both figures.

A designates the key-lever supported upon the usual pin, a, and B designates the hammer-rail carrying the flanges Z), to which the hammers O are pivoted at Z), and c designates the knuckle of the hammer on which the jack D and the repetition-lever D act. The jack D is fulcrumed at the point d, and has applied to it a spring, (1, and d designates the check or let-off screw on which the let-oif arm of the jack strikes. The repetition-lever D is pivoted at the point d to a post, E, projecting upward from the usual rest-support, E,

and said lever has applied to it a spring, (1".

The rest-support, together with the jack D,

and the lever D, pivoted thereto, are operated by the usual rod or connection, E from the key-lever A.

F designates a rail having upon it the flanges f, which, as here represented, support the rest-support, and also the back check or stop hereinafter referred to; but these two parts might be supported by separate flanges, if desired. I have shown the rest-support E 4 5 as formed with a downwardly-proj ecting arm or lug, e, and this downwardly-projecting arm or lug receives the pivot-pin 6, whereby the rest-support is fulcrumed to the flange f. For purposes of illustration I have also indicated at the point e the common location of the pivot-pin whereby the rest-support is hung; but it will be understood that in this case there is no pivot-pin at the point c and such point is intended to illustrate more clearly the purposes and results of my invention, which I 5 5 will 110w proceed to describe with the aid of Fig. 2.

In Fig. 2, l) designates the usual hammerpivot, an d c e designate, respectively, the point at which my rest-support is pivoted and the point at which therestsupport in an action of this character is usually pivoted. In the usual action, where the rest-support is pivoted at the point 6 there is between the hammerknuckle c and its point of contact with the repetition-lever D or jack D a sliding motion when the hammer is thrown up.

In the diagram Fig. 2, s designates the point of contact between the knuckle c and the part on which it rests when the hammer is down. o designates, by a full line, an arc struck from the pivot l), and o designates, by a full line, an arc struck from the center 6 on which the rest-support E is usually hung.

It will be seen that the arcs 0 0', which are of opposite curvatures, separate very considerably as the hammer lifts, and there is consequently this amount of sliding motion between the knuckle c'and the part on which it rests, and there must be a consequent amount of friction. Now, we will suppose the restsupport E to have the arm 6, which receives the pivot e, the pivot being at a considerable distance below the rest-support proper, and we will suppose the dotted are 0 to be struck 8 5 from the pivotal point c. It will be seen that this dotted are 0 although of opposite curvature to the are 0, separates very little therefrom, and consequently that when the rest support is hung upon the pivot 6, according to my invention, there will be produced a sliding contact between the knuckle c and the part on which it rests, very much less in length than when the rest-support is hung at the point 6 Having thus made clear the purpose of the first feature of my invention and the construction whereby the desired result is secured, I will turn to the back check or stop,

G, which is at the back of the hammer, and

which is usually supported by a wire, g, directly in the key-lever A and projects upward therefrom. According to the second feature of my invention the back stop or check may be constructed as a bell-crank or elbow-lever, pivoted to the flange f at the point g, and have two arms, G G, one of which projects upward and serves as the check proper, and the other of which projects downward and rearward into a position for the key-lever to act thereon. The arm G is provided with an adjusting-screw, 9 which constitutes in reality a part of the arm, and the arm G serves as the check or stop proper.

From the above description it will be understood that by simply loosening the screw h, which secures the connection E and by lifting the key-lever A off its pin a, the keylever can be removed entirely from the instrument without disturbing any other part of the action in any way, and this cannot be done when the check or stop is secured in the rear portion of the key-lever and projects rigidly upward from the key-lever.

What-I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with the hammer, repetition-lever, and jack of a piano-action, of a rest-support for the lever and jack having a downwardly-extending arm or lug which receives the pivot-pin on which the rest-support is fulcrumed, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination, in a horizontal pianoaction, with a hammer and key-lever, of a back check or stop consisting of a bell-crank lever having two rigid arms, one of which constitutes a check and the other of which is provided near its lower end with an adjustable stop, substantially as specified.

SIEGFRIED HANSING.

Witnesses:

O. HALL, FREDK. HAYNES. 

